CNN: Lugar's parting words: Part defense, part warning
As soon as 36-year Senate veteran Richard Lugar finished his concession speech Tuesday, he walked off the stage, out the back door and into his car. But he left behind something unusual and - in the annals of politics - somewhat extraordinary. Lugar had his aides distribute a prepared statement that was part detailed defense of his ill-fated and often maligned campaign strategy, and part stark warning to both parties about the divisive state of American politics - starting with Richard Mourdock, the Republican who beat him.

CNN: North Carolina passes same-sex marriage ban, CNN projects
North Carolina voters have passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, CNN projects, putting a ban that already existed in state law into the state's charter. With more than 1.5 million votes counted from Tuesday's referendum, supporters of the ban led opponents by a margin of 61% to 39%, according to figures from the State Board of Elections.

CNN: Senate balks at taking up student loan bill
With federal student loan interest rates set to double July 1, the Senate failed Tuesday to get enough votes to take up a bill to extend low 3.4% rates for another year. The vote was 52-45 to take up the bill, 8 fewer than the 60 needed to officially start debating the bill. Senate Republicans and Democrats are still negotiating a compromise, and the Senate could vote again this week.

CNN: CNN projects: Milwaukee mayor to face Walker in Wisconsin recall election
Tom Barrett, the Democratic mayor of Milwaukee, will face embattled Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in the state's June 5th recall election. Barrett topped Democratic rivals in a primary Tuesday, CNN projected. This isn't the first time Barrett has been matched against Walker – the two faced off in a 2010 gubernatorial election. Wisconsinites, along with many other Americans voting that year, went for the Republican in that election, choosing Walker over Barrett by 6 percentage points.

CNN: U.S. official upset over leak about double agent in bomb plot
The chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee expressed dismay that someone leaked information about a double agent who infiltrated al Qaeda and helped foil a plot to blow up a U.S.-bound plane. "It's really, to me, unfortunate that this has gotten out, because this could really interfere with operations overseas," Rep. Peter King of New York told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday. "My understanding is a major investigation is going to be launched because of this."

CNN: Gun parts found in boy's stuffed animals at Rhode Island airport
A man traveling with his 4-year-old son claims he didn't know that the three stuffed animals his little boy put on a conveyor belt at T. F. Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, contained parts that could be assembled into a loaded handgun, the Transportation Security Administration says.

CNN: John Edwards knew about attempt to cover up affair, speechwriter testifies
John Edwards knew that a wealthy benefactor was giving money to help cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter, a former speechwriter testified Tuesday during the corruption trial of the former presidential candidate. Prosecutors say the North Carolina Democrat used donor funds to hide Hunter and their daughter, Quinn, in an effort to keep his candidacy viable.

CNN: International alert issued for fugitive Iraqi vice president
Interpol on Tuesday issued a "red notice" for Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who is suspected of guiding and financing terrorist attacks in the country. The red notice for al-Hashimi "represents a regional (and) international alert to all of Interpol's 190 member countries to seek their help in locating and arresting him, following the issue of a national arrest warrant by Iraq's Judicial Investigative Authority as part of an investigation in which security forces seized bombing materials and arrested individuals," the international police organization said in a statement.

CNN: Anger at austerity, immigration feeds far right's rise in Europe
Two European elections, in France and Greece, have thrust the radical fringe into the spotlight. In Greece, voters disillusioned by a brutal austerity program pushed through by the two mainstream parties have turned instead to parties on the far left and far right. As a result, a leftist coalition opposed to austerity is seeking to form a government, and Golden Dawn - an ultranationalist party linked to street violence and neo-Nazism - stands to claim around 20 seats in the new parliament.

CNN: Bangladesh chides Clinton for microlender comments
A senior Bangladeshi minister has said that comments by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the globally acclaimed microlender Grameen Bank and its founder were "unwarranted." The Bangladeshi central bank last year removed Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate and founder of Grameen Bank, from his post as head of the lender. Yunus challenged the central bank's controversial decision in court, but lost.

CNN: Joran van der Sloot challenges extradition to U.S.
Joran van der Sloot told a judge and prosecutor Tuesday that he would prefer to finish serving a 28-year murder sentence in Peru rather than be extradited to the United States to face charges related to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, his Peruvian lawyer said.

CNN Money: Stocks tumble on Greece uncertainty
U.S. stocks sank Tuesday, although the major indexes closed off session lows, as Greece's uncertain political situation keeps investors on edge. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 76 points, or 0.6%, to 12,932. The S&P 500 tumbled 6 points, or 0.4%, to 1,364. The Nasdaq declined 11 points, or 0.4%, to 2,946.

CNN Money: Occupy Bank of America? Big protest expected
The 99% are preparing to occupy Charlotte, North Carolina, home of Bank of America's corporate headquarters, ahead of the bank's annual shareholder meeting Wednesday. Members of the 99% Power Coalition, which is organizing the events, said they expect nearly 1,000 individuals to arrive in Charlotte to protest Bank of America's foreclosure practices and its investment in coal mining, several members of the group said on a call with reporters Tuesday.

CNN Money: Disney shares pass all-time high on earnings
To infinity - or at least, $45 - and beyond! Shares of Walt Disney Co. passed their all-time high in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company reported strong earnings growth, driven by rising revenues at ESPN and the runaway success of "The Avengers."

In case you missed it…
CNN's John Zarrella reports on the legacy of Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator of acclaimed children's books.

soundoff(2 Responses)

king

American need to focus our time and money on America. Repubs have this notion that making the rich richer by gutting programs that help the less fortunate is the way to go. We are living into the 21st century now, the industrial revolution when we use to work with our hands is over with. Brains is how Americans compete in this new world. What sends does it makes when you cut educations for Americans, to give it corporations then ask us to compete with china and india for those same corporations jobs, does this make sense, America is only as string as our weakest link. Corporations is not obligated to give Americans the first take, it's only obligation is to its shareholders and compete on the global economy against some tough international competition. This means hiring the best mind no matter where they come from, or taking their jobs to the best place that give them an advantage on their competitors. Repubs stop stone walling the existence of Americans future success and stop the tuistion from doubling.

May 9, 2012 06:49 am at 6:49 am |

king

These folks to the right is getting more and more lunatic. They're cannot seem to stop thinking inside the box. Every situation is unique and for ever changing, if you cannot understand that your solutions sometimes have to evolve with the situations, we are in a whole bunch of trouble. These repubs and their dark ages ideologies are moving this country closer and closer into perril. They think that they should cut money away from the poor and give to big corporations and it will trickle down.